How the U.S. Counts Days

In your answer to David Smith, you mention that returning to Canada for a week over Christmas or for a few days in Mexico should not be deducted from the six months…this may not be correct. I thought the same thing, that it had to be more than 30 days before not counting as time in the U.S., but I wrote to the immigration department and they told me that in fact it does not have to be more than 30 days, and any time out of the country can be added to the six months. Thanks.

M.D.
British Columbia

Response :Ed.: We wish that this were true and, in many cases, it will be as all of this is left to the individual border-crossing agent to determine. We base our 30-day absence recommendation on an internal letter from the INS to its border-crossing offices, which basically states that a temporary absence cannot be deducted from eligible days. It specifically mentions the 30-day period. I will ask the CSA to get another formal opinion since there is a new regime in the U.S., as I am sure you are aware. This rule hurts the U.S. more than we snowbirds, of course.